With a number of bicentenaries over the coming months we provide (opposite) a calendar, from the new book Napoleon in the Holy Land by Nathan Schur.
To quote from this fascinating study of Napoleon's 1799 campaign in Palestine:
"At about 10.00 in the morning (8 April) the Turks launched their main attack. A dragoon officer describes it as follows:
'The Turkish cavalry attacked us at a gallop, shouting horribly. Their sabres glittered in the sun, their flowing coats revealed their gold bordered dress; their horses jumped full of fury and seemed to share the rage of their riders. On our side profound silence reigned ... Junot gave the order to open fire. The thunder of the fusillade drowned out the shouting and the clatter of the arms. Through the dense smoke which surrounded us I saw the hideous riders with their dark faces, who shouted like demons; however Major Duvivier had already lifted his sabre and we met the furious Turkish onslaught with firm foot and our blades commenced their terrible work. A richly dressed Mameluke fired his pistol at my head, wounding me lightly: but I had the consolation of stretching him out dead at my feet. At that moment I saw Major Prevot fighting on the ground against two Turks, his horse having been killed under him by a shot, but he had disengaged himself in time, and with astonishing calm was countering the blows aimed at him by his adversaries. The brave Pignard came running to his aid and transfixed the body of one of his enemies with his sabre, while Prevot killed the other with a back handed blow ... A captain of the 3rd Dragoons fell mortally wounded and some of the men of his company had great difficulty in recovering his body. Somewhat farther away an NCO of the same regiment attacked a Mameluke who held a battle banner made out of a long horse tail; both horsemen struggling body against body their mounts participating furiously, until the whole group rolled on the ground. However, the Turk, hindered by his flowing robes, could not get up in time and the blade of the NCO pierced his chest, and he died full of rage as he saw his banner in the hands of his enemy. After this the attacks became less pressing.'
The fire of the French infantry line became more effective and the Turks withdrew a bit, leaving the French isolated in an area strewn with corpses. Junot reorganized his men, and the Turks renewed their assault, but this time less resolutely. They looked now for weak spots in the French line and hurled their lances against the French so as to create a passage between the French bayonets, but in vain. Junot was attacked by two Turks, but killed one of them by a pistol shot and the other by a cut of his sabre. A further four battle banners were captured by the French, but were lost again in the melee. At 3 o'clock the Turks withdrew. The French lost eight cavalrymen and three infantrymen killed, and 48 wounded. In Junot's report to Napoleon after the battle he stressed the good quality of the enemy cavalry and pointed out that this had been the hottest fight he had ever been in. Napoleon, who always preferred to name battles after places with historically resonant names, did not call the engagement after the village of Lubya, but named it the 'Battle of Nazareth'. He appreciated the spirit shown there by his old friend Junot to such an extent that, when in 1807 he decided to create him a duke, his first choice was Duke of Nazareth. However he had second thoughts: he believed 'Junot of Nazareth' might sound just a bit too like 'Jesus of Nazareth', and thus Junot was created Duke of Abrantes (in Portugal) instead. Chronology 1799 Napoleon in the Holy Land
- 6 February Napoleon's army advances on Palestine
14 February The battle of El-Arish
20 February El-Arish falls to the French
24 February The battle of Gaza
2 March French troops move to within three miles of Jerusalem
37 March The siege of Jaffa
810 March The massacre of the prisoners at Jaffa (3,000 prisoners of war executed)
11 March Napoleon visits victims of the plague at Jaffa
15 March The battle of Kakoon
17 March French troops reach Haifa
18 March Six French ships defeated off Cape Carmel
19 March–21 May The siege of Acre
28 March The first French assault on Acre is defeated
31 March General Junot occupies Nazareth; General Murat captures Safet
1 April General Murat reaches the River Jordan
3 April General Vial captures Tyre
8 April The battle of Lubya (Napoleon called this the battle of Nazareth)
15 April The battle of The Bridge of Jacob's Daughters
16 April General Murat occupies Tiberias; the battle of Mount Tabor
17 April Napoleon visits Nazareth
7 May Turkish troops arrive to support the garrison of Acre
810 May French assaults on Acre fail
21 May The French retreat from Acre
30 May The French reach Gaza
14 June The French re-enter Cairo
23 August Napoleon leaves Egypt
9 November Napoleon establishes the Consulate and takes control of France
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